Puppet theater

ABSTRACT

A portable theater for puppets that can be folded into a compact shape for transport. The theater has a stage and a floor that can both be expanded by side panels. The stage has at least one hole that a puppet can be placed in as the actor on the stage. Props and other characters can be attached to the stage and the floor.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of Provisional Patent ApplicationSer. No. 60/765,698, filed Feb. 6, 2006 by the present inventor.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

None

SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM

None

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to theaters. More specifically it relates toportable stages for theaters. Even more specifically it relates toportable stages for puppet theaters.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

This invention is a portable puppet theater. The theater is made of asheet of material that is divided by hinges. The sheet of material canbe in a “T” shape. The theater is folded into a portfolio or box whenbeing transported. When in use, the theater is folded out to create astage with sides and a floor. The stage has at least one hole for apuppet to be inserted and permanently or reversibly attached to thetheater. When in use, the puppet is inserted into the hole and operatedby a user.

The stage can be decorated with a backdrop or can be decorated with asingle color or a pattern. The stage can also have the bodies of thepuppets attached to the stage underneath the holes for the puppets sothat the illusion is created that the bodies and the puppet heads arepart of the same figure. The bodies can be attached to the stage ordrawn or printed onto the stage.

The stage can have stage accessories attached to the stage. The stageaccessories can be additional characters or props. The stage accessoriescan be drawn or printed on the stage or attached by adhesive, astatistical fastener or magnets.

The floor can have floor accessories. Floor accessories can be attachedto the floor or merely placed upon the floor. Floor accessories that areattached are attached by an accessory stand that also acts as a hinge.Thus when the theater is opened, these floor accessories will pop up.Other floor accessories are placed upon the floor. These flooraccessories are supported by an accessory stand. The floor accessoriescan be two-dimensional figurines or cut outs, or alternatively the flooraccessories can be three dimensional figurines and objects. The flooraccessories could be blank or coloring book style or stencils so thatthey could be decorated or created by a user.

The theater can also come with script booklets or cards with play skitsfor children to read and act out with the puppets and accessories. Itcan also come with script starters booklets or cards that help childrento write their own scripts for their puppet shows.

An alternative embodiment has multiple stages that can be folded orremoved so that different stages can be used with the same theater.Other embodiments could have text for a play written on different stagefronts. Other embodiments could include a stage with a blank or coloringbook style stage that could be decorated or created by a user.Alternatively, a book could be attached to the stage front. This bookcould contain a script or a partial script or blank pages.

In an alternative embodiment, the floor could have a board game printedor attached to the floor. The board game could include game pieces,dice, spinners and cards. The game could also include script cards thatencourage the kids to act out the puppets and respond to questions usingthe puppets to win the game. The floor accessories can all becomeinvolved in the game.

The theater could be used with a hand puppet. Alternatively, the theatercould be used with a finger puppet or full body puppet. The puppet couldbe plush, cloth or plastic. In some alternative embodiments, the theatercould be used without a puppet. In other embodiments, a plush toy or astuffed animal could be used in place of a puppet. The plush toy ofstuffed animal could be permanently or reversibly attached to thetheater.

In some embodiments, the theater could fold into a box. In furtherembodiments, the theater does not have a handle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part ofthe specification, illustrate the embodiments of the present inventionand, together with the description, serve to explain the principles ofthe invention.

FIG. 1 is a picture of the puppet theater from the front with the stageand the floor unfolded.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 illustrates the puppet theater from the front with the stage andthe floor unfolded. The theater has two puppets 1. The puppets 1 arepoking out of holes in the stage front 2. The theater also has a stageback 3 that is attached to stage front 2 by the top edge. On this edgeis a handle 4. Printed or attached to the stage front 2 is a body 5 forthe puppets 1. Also attached to the stage front 2 are two stage sides 6.Also attached to the stage front 2 is a floor 7. Attached to the floor 7are two floor sides 8. Attached to the stage front 2 and the stage sides6 are stage accessories 9. On the floor 7 and floor sides 8 are flooraccessories 10 which are supported by accessory stands 11.

The stage sides 6 are attached to the stage front 2 by a hinge and canbe folded. The floor sides 8 are attached to the floor 7 by a hinge andcan be folded. The stage front 2 is attached to the stage back 3 by ahinge and can be folded. The stage front 2 is attached to the floor 7 bya hinge and can be folded. The hinge can be made using any design.Possible hinge designs, meant as examples but not as limitations,include metal hinges, folded cardboard hinges, cloth hinges and stringhinges.

The theater can be folded in a number of ways. In the preferredembodiment, stage sides 6 are folded in front of stage front 2. Thenfloor sides 8 are folded on top of the floor 7. Then the floor 7 isfolded in front of the stage front 2. In one embodiment, the stage sides6 are folded in front of the stage front 2 and the floor sides 8 arefolded underneath the floor 7. Then the floor 7 is folded over thefolded stage sides 6. Then the stage back 3 is folded against the stagefront 2. In another embodiment, the stage sides 6 are folded in front ofthe stage front 2 and the floor sides 8 are folded over the floor 7.Then the floor 7 is folded over the folded stage sides 6. Then the stageback 3 is folded against the stage front 2. In another embodiment, thestage sides 6 are folded in front of the stage front 2 and the stagefront 2 is folded against the stage back 3. The floor 7 is then foldedover the stage back 3 and the floor sides 8 are folded over the stagefront 2 to hold the theater closed. In another embodiment, the floorsides 8 are folded underneath the floor 7. Then the floor 7 is foldedover the folded stage front 2. Then the stage back 3 is folded againstthe stage front 2 and the stage sides 6 are folded against the stageback 3 to hold the theater closed. The theater can be held closed by amagnetic latch or statistical latch.

The stage accessories 9 and the bodies 5 can be either printed on thestage front 2 and stage sides 6 or attached to the stage front 2 andstage sides 6. In the embodiment where the stage accessories 9 and thebodies 5 are printed, the stage accessories 9 and the bodies 5 can beprinted or drawn. In the embodiments where the stage accessories 9 andthe bodies 5 are attached, the stage accessories 9 and the bodies 5 canbe permanently or reversibly attached. In the embodiments were the stageaccessories 9 and the bodies 5 are reversibly attached, any reversiblefastener, such as adhesive, statistical fastener or magnets, canreversibly attach the stage accessories 9 and the bodies 5. Personsskilled in the art will see that any reversible fastener could be used.The stage front 2 and the stage sides 6 will need to be made of amaterial that the reversible fastener can be attached to. As an example,but not meant as a limitation, if the reversible fastener for the stageaccessories 9 and the bodies 5 were magnets, the stage front 2 and thestage sides 6 would need to be made of a metallic material or a materialthat magnets can attach to.

The floor accessories 10 can be attached to the floor 7 or floor side 8or placed upon the floor 7 or floor side 8. In the embodiments where thefloor accessories 10 are attached to the floor 7 or floor side 8, thefloor accessories 10 are attached by an accessory stand 11 that is ahinge. When the floor 7 or floor side 8 is unfolded, the accessory stand11 pops up the floor accessory 10. In the embodiments where the flooraccessories 10 are placed upon the floor 7 and the floor sides 8, thefloor accessories 10 are supported by accessory stands 11.

The puppets 1 are placed within the holes in the stage front 2. Thenumber of puppets 1 is two in the preferred embodiment, but otherembodiments could use one puppet 1 or more than two puppets 1. Thepuppets 1 can be attached by any system that will hold the puppets 1 inplace. The puppets 1 can be permanently attached or reversibly attached.Glue, stitching or staples can attach them. Alternatively, statisticalfasteners, buttons, snaps, hook and loop fasteners or ties can attachthem. Persons skilled in the art can sell that many other fastenerscould be used. The fastener system used in the Puppet System patent byLisa Annette Leleu, filed May 1, 2002, U.S. Pat. No. 6,672,929, is apreferred embodiment.

In some embodiments, the theater will not include bodies 5. In someembodiments, the theater will not include stage accessories 9. In someembodiments, the theater will not include floor accessories 10.

Although this invention has been illustrated by reference to specificembodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art thatvarious changes and modification may be made which clearly fall withinthe scope of the invention. The invention is intended to be protectedbroadly within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

1. A puppet theater comprising: a sheet of material; a first hinge inthe sheet; a second hinge in the sheet that is parallel to the firsthinge; at least one first hole between the first hinge and the nearestedge of the sheet that is parallel to the first hinge; at least onesecond hole in the sheet between the first hinge and the second hinge;so that at least one puppet can be placed through the second hole andthe first hole; so that when the first hinge is folded the section ofthe sheet of material with the second hole forms a stage back and thesection with the first hole forms a stage front and the section withouta hole forms a stage floor.
 2. The puppet theater of claim 1 where thestage floor folds forward.
 3. The puppet theater of claim 1 where thefirst hinge folds the opposite direction from the second hinge.
 4. Thepuppet theater of claim 1 where a portion of the sheet of material thatcomprises the stage floor has at least one area that is connected to thestage floor by at least one third fold that is perpendicular to thefirst hinge and the second hinge and that can be unfolded from the stagefloor to create a stage floor with a larger area.
 5. The puppet theaterof claim 1 where a portion of the sheet of material that makes a stagefront has at least one area that is connected to the stage front by atleast one fourth fold that is perpendicular to the first and secondhinge and that can be unfolded from the stage front to create a stagefront with a larger area.
 6. The puppet theater of claim 1 where thereare two first holes and two second holes.
 7. The puppet theater of claim1 where objects are attached to the stage front.
 8. The puppet theaterof claim 1 where objects are attached to the floor.
 9. The puppettheater of claim 7 where the objects represent characters.
 10. Thepuppet theater of claim 7 where the objects represent props.
 11. Thepuppet theater of claim 8 where the objects represent characters. 12.The puppet theater of claim 8 where the objects represent props.
 13. Thepuppet theater of claim 1 where the stage front has a booklet attached.19. A puppet theater comprising: a sheet of material; a first hinge inthe sheet; a second hinge in the sheet that is parallel to the firsthinge and the first hinge folds the opposite direction from the secondhinge; at least one first hole between the first hinge and the nearestedge of the sheet that is parallel to the first hinge; at least onesecond hole in the sheet between the first hinge and the second hinge;so that at least one puppet can be placed through the second hole andthe first hole; so that when the first hinge is folded the section ofthe sheet of material with the second hole forms a stage back and thesection with the first hole forms a stage front and the section withouta hole forms a stage floor and the stage floor folds forward; a portionof the sheet of material that comprises the stage floor has at least onearea that is connected to the stage floor by at least one third foldthat is perpendicular to the first hinge and the second hinge and thatcan be unfolded from the stage floor to create a stage floor with alarger area; a portion of the sheet of material that makes a stage fronthas at least one area that is connected to the stage front by at leastone fourth fold that is perpendicular to the first and second hinge andthat can be unfolded from the stage front to create a stage front with alarger area.
 20. A puppet theater comprising: a sheet of material in a“T” shape with a plurality of central sections and two portions to theside of the central sections that are arms of the “T”; a first hinge inthe sheet; a second hinge in the sheet that is parallel to the firsthinge and the first hinge folds the opposite direction from the secondhinge; at least one first hole between the first hinge and the nearestedge of the sheet that is parallel to the first hinge; at least onesecond hole in the sheet between the first hinge and the second hinge; asection of the sheet of material that does not have a hole in it; aportion of the sheet of material that comprises part of the arms of the“T” shape has at least one area that is connected to the section of thesheet of material without the first hole or the second hole by at leastone third fold that is perpendicular to the first hinge and the secondhinge and that can be unfolded to create a larger area; a portion of thesheet of material that comprises part of the arms of the “T” shape canfrom a stage front has at least one area that is connected to thesection of the sheet of material with the second hole by at least onefourth fold that is perpendicular to the first and second hinge and thatcan be unfolded to a larger area; so that at least one puppet can beplaced through the second hole and the first hole; so that when thefirst hinge is folded the section of the sheet of material with thesecond hole forms a stage back and the section with the first hole formsa stage front and the section without a hole forms a stage floor and thestage floor folds forward.